Thorin and the Took
by Amehhh
Summary: A few years before the taking back of Erebor, one decision changed the life of Belladonna Took, a hobbit of The Shire. Upon going on an adventure with her three brothers, she winds up in the very city where the dwarf king resides. There, she befriends Thorin himself, and she knew that there was no turning back to The Shire any time soon. ThorinxOC
1. The Start

**Hello everyone, I thought I'd pitch in a story of my own, so that's a thing that's happening.**

**Anyways, it'd be really cool if you'd read and review! I hope you enjoy it~**

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"Tell me where you're going or else I'll scream." I opened the gate behind them as their person clearly jumped what seemed a few feet in the air. They turned around with a frightened look.

"Belladonna! Don't startle us like that—you'll wake mum!" Hildifons chided, and stretched his neck out to make sure a light hadn't turned on inside.

"I know I'll wake mum. That's the point. Where are you going? It's the middle of the night. I'm sure your chores can wait until tomorrow. I didn't think you all would be so keen to get the done." Three of my brothers, Hildigrim, Hildifons, and Isembard all stared at me, caught between our home and the rest of The Shire.

"You can't tell anyone, okay? Not even if mum bribes you with food." Hildigrim rested his hand upon my shoulder. "We're going on an adventure. To the Blue Mountains. There's more than The Shire, you know."

I rolled my eyes. "Of course I know that. I read. Why are you going?"

"Why not?" Hildigrim gave me a blank stare. "Now, get back inside. We've told you where we're going. And remember: don't tell mum!"

"Well I'm not going to be able to tell mum," I scoffed.

Isembard gathered himself and crossed his arms. "And why is that, little sister?"

"Because I'm coming with you."

The three put their hands over their mouths in an effort to stop themselves from laughing so harshly. "Now really, get back inside, go back to sleep, and we'll be back before you know it. Breakfast will be here soon enough. Goodnight, Belladonna." The trio turned their back to me and started walking again, with the heavy sacks resting on their shoulders.

I sighed. I didn't want to have to do this. I looked up at the night sky, preparing myself to scream, until I thought the better of myself. "If you leave without me," I called after them, "I'll scream. I'll run and get mum and dad and all of our siblings to see you try to run away. I'm coming with you." It was a little bit immature, but it was mainly a last ditch effort in either getting them to stay. Or, rather, getting them to let me leave with them.

The group made their way a little closer to me. "And what could you _possibly _have to offer on our trip?"

"Fine," I began to back off, "Have fun eating dirt. We all know how terrible you are at cooking. It's so un-Hobbit-like. Shame on you all. But, I'm sure dirt will fill you up plenty. Just be sure to boil it the right way, is all. That is, if you know what boiling is. Besides, when you don't have a place to stay, in these Blue Mountains, I'm sure that sleeping in a pile of snow will suit you all just swell. I'll just be back home, in The Shire, eating, sleeping, reading…It's so very relaxing, knowing definitely that I'll have a place to go."

"We know that we're going to have to get a place to stay! We aren't as foolish as you'd like to think we are, Miss Bella," Hildigrim protested.

"And how are you going to get the money to pay for your stay for however long you'll be there? Chances are that the Blue Mountains have much more of a need for currency than we Hobbits do."

"Well—we—" The three stuttered over their words.

"You get a job. It's simple, really. But I'm sure you all thought of that."

The three let out a sigh of defeat. "Go on, Miss Bella. Get your bags. If you're not out here in fifteen minutes, we'll be leaving, whether you scream or not."

I stifled a scream of excitement rather than protest as I ran indoors to pack my things. An adventure—finally—and not a moment too soon! Not even once had I travelled outside of The Shire—not even to see our supposed long lost relatives in Bree. I stuffed my bag with clothes and food, preparing myself for the harsh few weeks of travelling to the Blue Mountains. How wonderful! Running out of the Hobbit Hole in record time, I hugged the three of my brothers and we set off on our way. "So, when are we stopping to sleep? It _is _the middle of the night, after all."

"We're going to make it just outside of The Shire. It'll take a little bit, but it's not impossible. We're going to walk as much as we can. Are you sure you're up for it? The road isn't one for a girl, you know."

"I'm almost old enough to do what I want, Isembard. You forget that in a few years I'll be of-age."

He kicked a rock down the path. "Remind us again why we thought it to be okay to bring you? Mum's going to have a heart attack. We didn't leave her a note—I mean, we are Tooks, after all, but you're her daughter, and we all know that she has a special spot for her daughters. What will she think when the next morning when only some of her sons remain and one of her daughters missing? Sure, you're a Took, Miss Bell, but you're still her daughter."

My heart sunk with his words. A thought passed through my mind that I should leave and wait for them to come back and regale me with all of their tales of staying in the Blue Mountains. But I would never have such a chance again. I didn't even know how long they were going to be staying. What did it matter though, as long as we had the money? I let myself keep up with my family as I stared off into the Shire. The green colored hills were dulled by the lack of light; although the stars shining above were plenty light to let us see our way.

I let myself think of the pros and cons of leaving and staying until it ended up being a few hours later, when Hildifons halted us. "We're going to be camping here for the night. We should rise again when the sun shines. We want to get there as fast as possible. The longer we can be there, the better."

In a tired haze, I felt myself unroll the blanket I had allowed myself for this journey and made myself a not-so-comfortable bed upon the ground. How long did they say until we reached the Blue Mountains? More importantly, how long did they say until we reached actual beds again? There was no turning back at this point. I don't think I could have turned around even if I wanted to. The world is beyond the Shire, not in my books. Going back was no longer an option. I would get to the Blue Mountains, or get distracted trying.

It was too late in the night and too early in the journey for the fear to set in. The fear that I might never see my home again, that we might face enemies upon this road (and as far as I knew none of them brought any weapons of some sort), or even that we might not even make it to the Blue Mountains themselves.

The Shire was comfortable and happy, but I had this strange feeling in the back of my mind as I'm about to fall asleep that the Blue Mountains would be more majestic than I had heard.

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**Alright, so, the first chapter's done!**

**How did you all like it? It'd tickle my pickle if you'd review with your thoughts :)**

**Anyways, have a good weekend, you all!**

**-Amehhh**


	2. Belegost

**Alas! The second chapter!**

**Spoiler alert: we finally meet Thorin!**

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By the end of our second week travelling, our stomachs were growling. Snow began to linger on the ground, but when we were so close, there was no way we could turn back. Not when we had an entire world ahead of us, and an emotional mother behind us. But, due to the excessive cold that braced our skin every second of the day (and more extensively so in the night), there was little to eat around. The most we could do was find a few leaves to make an unsightly salad and sit around a tiny fire. Now, we rose from our small blankets, which had notably been less warm than we thought they were when leaving home, smelling the last of the smoldering flames in the ashes.

Every little thing that seemed to go wrong, my brothers jokingly blamed on me. "Come on, Belladonna. Why didn't you think to pack more blankets if you were so keen and knowledgeable about this adventure?"

"Dirt is going to be suiting us just fine for tonight's dinner, isn't that so, Miss Bella?"

"Haven't you enough thought in your mind to remember that we would need more food for later than at the beginning?"

After two sour weeks of being only with my brothers, my outlook on this adventure had turned out to be rather poor. "Be quiet and keep packing up," I mumbled, unamused. The Blue Mountains couldn't come soon enough. Our going had been extremely slow, especially with my three brothers goofing off. Countless times I had stood ahead of them, sighed, and waited for their antics to end. But, brothers will be brothers. And once we got to some sort of civilization, I would no longer need to see them until we decided to head back.

Luckily, we hadn't encountered any sort of real danger—the most being an innocent squirrel that ended up crossing our path. And of course, ended up in our stomachs. What could we say? There wasn't much to eat around these parts. The disgust from my actions lingered in the back of my mind, still, though at a much reduced rate. I wish we didn't have to eat it; the poor thing was probably just as hungry as we were. I couldn't even cook it: Hildifons had to take that responsibility. I wondered how the people in the mountains even lasted. They must have some trading system. Otherwise, how would they be living? They couldn't be going off of the occasional squirrel that had the misfortune to cross their paths.

I was scared nearly to death as a galloping noise rode closer and closer to our small camp. Hildigrim, Hildifons, and Isembard gathered around me as the horses and their riders slowed to a circle around us. The men—at least, that's what they looked like (they were so tall!)—looked confused, and definitely took their time to gather their thoughts. "Halflings?" That was the word being muttered around their group in common tongue. My heart nearly pounded through my chest. I dearly wanted them to be a collection of squirrels rather than men twice our size.

"Yes, that's what we are—we're Hobbits of the Shire." Hildifons finally spoke up, after what seemed to be far too long without speaking.

Hildigrim elbowed him harshly with an intense "Shh"ing. "Go ahead, tell them your whole life story, why don't you?"

One of the men laughed and stepped off of their horses before getting to a more serious tone. "You are very far from The Shire. What brings you out here?"

"We're on an adventure," Isembard piped up. "We're going to the Blue Mountains. And what are you Men doing here?" He sized himself up (which ended up only being as tall as the man's waist).

"Going to the Blue Mountains as well, it would seem. We have compensation for their smithing. They make fine items. We have a tight trading schedule with them."

"Oh," Hildifons said, taken aback. Our quickest way to the Blue Mountains was painfully obvious—and to think we even might get food out of it! "Well—do you think—I'm sorry, this must seem very rude—but could we ask a favor of you?"

"And what might that be, Halfling?"

Hildifons continued. "Well, could you give us a ride to the mountains? Our luck hasn't been with us, and it's been a long time since we've ate properly. It'd be very nice to get there and eat, if you would be so kind as to help us."

The man nodded in acknowledgement. "What do you say?" He turned and looked to his companions, who muttered a small agreement. "Then it is settled. We should be there in two days' time." He helped us each onto a separate horse with a man, lifted himself up onto his, and gave the signal to start riding. Already, even from this new height, it was easy to tell that we were moving much faster than we were by foot. My feet were thankful, on that note, for not having to walk. As resilient as they may be, walking in this kind of cold with snow and bits of frost made for an uncomfortable journey.

I could only vaguely hope that none of us would fall off—it would be terrible embarrassing for that to be the story that these men told when they reached where they needed to go. I let myself doze off and leaned onto the man guiding the horse. The surprise and threat of possible danger had let a shock run through my body, and now all I needed to do was rest, and to let my feet dangle relaxingly off the sides of the mare. Yes, this would certainly do for the next two days.

I woke up the next morning to Isembard shaking me on the shoulder. "Belladonna—Miss Bella—wake up, or I swear I'll be leaving you!"

Groaning, I allowed my eyes to open. The men were already rolling up their blankets and setting out the fire with a small pail of water. Excited by how close we were to the base of the mountains, I got out of the bed into the chilly cold, and immediately started helping out, despite my tired outlook.

It was only a few moments later it seemed, that I was behind a man, on top of a horse once more. We did not say much except for the usual morning small-talk, and my thoughts lingered toward second breakfast—something I hadn't had in a long while, it seemed. Oh yes, real food would be nice. The mountains got closer and closer, and I doubted that my brothers felt the same kind of excitement that I did. I spent my time thinking about the wonderful things that I would do once I arrived.

Time was certainly a funny thing. It felt as though it had only been an hour, yet here we were, at the entrance to Belegost, the Dwarven city of the Blue Mountains. It was uncertain where we had originally intended to go, so we allowed going the same direction the Men had. They let us go our separate ways with a small portion of food to kindly help us along. We wanted to offer some sort of compensation for their troubles, and made it known, but they were simply glad that we had made it to the right place all in one piece. Nice folk, they were. I would remember them, most definitely. Men were those to be trusted.

We wandered around the town, seeing small stands of food, stands of clothing and boots and accessories, everything stories depicted towns and cities had. The Shire had never felt so far away before, and I didn't mind. Everything in the Shire was grown right in our own homes, really. Only sometimes did we require things from elsewhere (but usually Bree, as it was closest). We asked around for a place to stay for the night, and were directed to a small tavern, in which we got a room above the bar for a few coins, as we were foreigners (and the townsfolk would likely come to the bar to see us Hobbits, the owner said. It was uncommon for anyone but Dwarves to be here.

To be honest, it certainly looked as such, too. The entire place had an unfamiliar air to it, and I wasn't saying that just because of the altitude. But, as all families do sometimes, we decided to go our separate ways. Later that night, we would meet up in the room later in the night after we explored to our heart's content. Somehow, I made my way over into the smithing area, the place where the Men told us about. The street was lined with shops that held food, clothing, armor, weaponry, and many other items that I had not even known could possibly exist. Oh yes, this place was much different than the Shire, and it was lovely.

All of the shops seemed to lead to one dead end, however. At the end of the street, a larger building than the rest stood, as though signaling its dominance. The customers obviously felt the same way. As I walked closer to it, I could see that this was not a specialty. It looked as though whatever was there was made simply because it could be made. Walls were lined with weapons, axes, swords, belts—you could name it, and it would be there. There was a list on a long scrap of paper. Clearly, this person was so good that he took requests; and not just cheap ones.

What really caught my eye, however, was a small necklace. It looked as though it was a piece of armor: its folds were reminiscent of that of an elbow or knee piece of a full body suit. It was tough and strict-looking, yet it remained flexible. Ingrained in these plates were a few precious stones. It glinted wonderfully, even in the overcast sky that draped over the mountains. It was a beautiful piece of work, and I decided right then that I had never wanted anything so badly before in my life.

"Excuse me," I said, hoping that I was loud enough to capture the smith's attention.

A few moments later, and a gruff voice apologized from behind a curtain. "Sorry, I was in the back. How might I help you?" He was looking up for a moment until he realized (with a very well-covered moment of shock) that I was just his size.

I had to take a moment to gather myself. I had not spoken directly to a dwarf before—I had seen them all over the city, but I had yet to talk to one. The task was easier said than done. "Oh, um, I was just wondering if this necklace was for sale?"

He nodded in confirmation. "It is. It is worth one hundred coins."

I looked in my small bag, and counted four. Money was not worth much in the Shire—unless you wanted to build a hole from scratch. "I'm sorry," I said, deciding it was now my turn to apologize. "I don't have enough money for it. Maybe next time. It's a beautiful piece of jewelry."

He looked a little pleased with himself. "Thank you. There aren't many women who come around, so I feel as though it is a good piece to display. So," he turned to face me full on, and it was then that I noticed how piercing and daunting his eyes were, "You are not of Men, and you are not a Dwarf. Are you, then…"

"A hobbit?" I finished his question for him. "I am," I smiled. "My name's Belladonna."

"Thorin."

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**And there you have it! Hopefully the next chapter should be up soon.**

**Also, if you would be so kind as to review, that would really tickle my fancy and make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside and things.**

**I hope you're having a good day!**

**-Amehhh**


	3. Bofur and the Toy Shop

**Alright guys, here's the next chapter! Hopefully I'll get to updating a bit more regularly soon, but this week is a little busy :)**

**It'd be great if you'd read and review!**

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His gaze rested upon mine after I told him I was a Hobbit. Upon speaking his name in return, he asked, "If you are a Hobbit, what are you doing so far from your home?"

I laughed, recalling the couple weeks beforehand when the adventure started. "I heard my brothers sneaking out in the middle of the night, and I told them that if they left without me I'd scream and wake the whole Shire up."

Thorin nodded in response, and took notice of the darkening sky. "It is getting late, and I should begin to close down the shop."

Taking this as my cue, for I had probably bothered him for moments longer than he liked, I spoke up. "I best be leaving, then. It was nice talking to you. Maybe I'll see you around town before I leave." I waved him goodbye, left, and only turned my head back to look at him once (or maybe twice, but I wasn't sure if I wanted to admit it just yet). There was no notion that he looked back to me.

By the time I arrived at the tavern, the air was starting to freeze, it felt like. Entering the bar, I received a few odd looks, but they quickly resided to their conversations and pints. When I entered our room, Isembard was the first to speak. "You've been gone an awful long time," he commented.

"I was exploring, just as the rest of you," I opened my bag and began to unpack the items I had brought along with me.

Hildifons chuckled, "Did any _sights_ captivate your attention for a little while? I wouldn't put it past you—you were always a bit queer. Odd though, that you would go for a dwarf—rather hairy, aren't they?"

"Hildifons," I rolled my eyes, "We have hair on our _feet_. I don't think that if there was a dwarf that you so-called 'captivated my attention,' that hair would be an issue," I decided to change the subject. "Who am I sharing a bed with?" Nobody had set up their belongings onto a bed just yet, so I took the liberty of choosing one. When all three decided to make a small effort to simultaneously moan and sigh, I made the decision for them. "Isembard, you're with me."

"Why me?" He looked slightly appalled at sharing a bed with his younger sister.

I lay down on top of the sheets and patted the space next to me. "Because if none of you had chosen, you would all be standing there for the rest of the night. And, also because if you hadn't brought me, you wouldn't have thought to get a room until last minute."

A protest rose from Hildigrim, "I resent that statement! We would have thought about it."

"But would you have had enough money to pay for one without a fourth person in your company? I know how you three think—while you're busy talking amongst each other, I have a nice sit and do intelligent things."

"No need to be such a nag, Miss Bella," Hildigrim scolded.

I tucked myself into the covers. "Sorry. It's just nice to finally be in a bed again. I think I'm going to sleep," I paused so that I could yawn, "I'll see you all tomorrow."

When I awoke, only Hildifons remained. Rubbing my eyes, I mumbled, "Where did everyone go?"

"Getting breakfast," he responded. "About time you woke up—I was about to get worried, Belladonna. Anyways, they should be getting back soon."

"Mmm," I groaned, stretching my sore back. Yes, this bed definitely did me well. "What are your plans for today?"

He shrugged. "Try to find a little work. I'd like to have a bit more money—make things easier. It's easier to find food in the wild than it is in civilization, somehow."

"I agree," I spoke as my stomach growled. Real food would also be very nice. "I think I'll explore the town again. I didn't see half of the town. How long were we staying, again?"

"About a week, I think is what we said. So, don't get too attached."

I nodded, climbing out of bed, patiently awaiting the food that was being brought to us. It was a short wait, until slightly overdone meat was on the small table in the middle of the room. We gathered around it, our mouths watering over the sight and smell of cooked food. It took us no more than five minutes to eat our breakfast, and we eagerly awaited the hour that we let pass before having our second breakfast. "You know what, I'm going to find some food in the town—I want to explore some more," I waved goodbye to my brothers, in an effort to be the most adventurous of the other three Tooks that were with me. They wouldn't regret bringing me. I could take care of myself, if I wanted to.

The crisp air hit my face as I left the building, and I crossed my arms in front of me to try to warm myself up. Judging by the sun, it was probably nearly the middle of the day. I had a feeling that my stomach shrank, since it was already time for second breakfast and no noise was erupting from it. I bought an apple from a small stand (the only one in the area, it looked like, might I add), and continued walking around the slushy roads. There were many shops, multiple of the same genre. Smithing was most definitely their number one export. It was all very beautiful, and for a moment, I wished that I had the opportunity to wear such regal armor.

Finally, I found a shop that was a little unlike the others. A small, quaint toy shop rested on the corner of a street. A man sat near the back, leaning over a wooden toy of some sort, whittling away. When he looked as though he was taking a small break from focusing so hard, I spoke up in order to get his attention. "Hello, there." I smiled in an effort to make myself seem unthreatening. I had gotten a few noteworthy stares as I walked down this side of the city.

"Oh, hello. How are you today?"

"I'm alright. It's a bit chilly out, isn't it?" He nodded in agreement. "How did you make this?" I picked up a hand-crafted toy and held it up to him. I wanted to get to know people, to learn the culture, rather than just stay in my room all day.

He seemed to get excited by this. "You really want to know?"

"Sure. I could never do something like this. And, it seems like there's only armor and weapons otherwise. I'd like to learn, if you'd like to teach me."

"Pull up a chair," he gestured to the other side of the table. "What is your name?"

"Belladonna Took. What's yours?" I sat down, letting my feet rest for the time being.

"I am Bofur." He pulled up extra tools and set them onto the table. "Not very people want to learn how to make toys. As you have said, people tend to appreciate weapons more. This is something I find a little more relaxing, though."

I let out a small laugh. "I would have to agree."

The conversation fell as Bofur attempted to teach me how to carve and whittle with nothing but a small knife. Growing frustrated at my attempts, I allowed myself to simply finish the job and potentially practice later. Practice did make perfect, he said. Judging by the shop, he was the primary example of that.

A few hours must have passed, and I was surprised at how patient Bofur was. He sat there, watching me whittle, giving me pointers on how to hold the knife correctly, to put the pressure on my thumb rather than my wrist…the list went on. Knives were always my least favorite utensils, anyways.

Exasperated, I gave up, and sat my finished…thing on the table between us. "That was good for your first try," Bofur encouraged me.

"You're just saying that to be kind," I smiled. It really _was_ rather pathetic.

Trying to make me feel better, he told me, "The more you practice the easier it gets. Now, I must close down my shop, so if you will excuse me."

"It's still light out, though. Do you usually close early?" I stepped outside of the shop, so as to not get in the way of what he was doing.

He dragged a couple tables inside, in case it rained while he was away. "No, not usually, but I need to get more wood. I usually go out into the small forest at the bottom of the mountains to get some."

"If you'd like…and I know you don't really know me, so this probably sounds a bit off…but if you'd like, I could stay and watch the shop for you? You can just tell me how to run it and how things are priced. Nothing should happen, and besides—how hard would it be to find a Hobbit in a city of dwarves?" I was unsure of my offer, even though I was the one making it, but since I would still be here for a few days, I'd rather get strange looks in a shop rather than on the streets.

He seemed to size me up and tried to figure out how much of a help I'd really been. "I like you, so I will take a chance with you. It can't be much harder than making a toy, can it?" Bofur grinned.

And that was how I got my first job. I wondered if that Thorin fellow needed toys for any reason…I let the thought slip away as Bofur showed me the workings of his shop, though there wasn't much to remember. He told me that he'd return in a few hours, and wished me luck. The other shopowners around were pretty nice, if I ever needed help doing anything, he said. It was a comforting thought, but it didn't help the nervousness arising in my stomach. Disappointing him certainly wasn't an option—but we needed some money to help pay for our rent.

I looked up at the sky, which was a mixture of grey and blue, and hoped he wouldn't be too long. Staying after dark didn't seem like a good idea, especially not one for a Hobbit. My mind wandered to what my brothers were doing, and the time passed quickly as I thought of all the shenanigans they must have gotten into. Well, it was only a matter of time before Bofur got back. I'd better get to work.

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**Sorry that it's going by a little slow, but in due time, I promise, more things will happen, haha.**

**I hope you enjoyed it, and it'd be really cool if you told me what you thought of it!**

**-Amehhh**


	4. The Departure

**Wow, okay, I'm sorry about that 4 month wait. I just got really busy with school and work, but now it's summer!**

**I'll make a promise to you all right now that I will not let this story go unfinished, haha.**

**Read and review, if you'd like! :)**

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I had been working off and on for Bofur for a few days, and between the tavern room and food, I now had about twelve coins. At this rate, I figured that I would be the richest person in the Shire. I let the two coins I had earned today jingle loosely in my hand as I climbed the stairs into our room. To my surprise, some of their belongings were packed up near the door, ready to go. "What's going on here? Why's everything packed?"

"There you are, Miss Bella," Hildigrim piped up. "You were out for a while."

"I was," I agreed, then pointed to the bags. "What's this?"

Hildifons was the next to speak. "We decided to leave tomorrow. We don't want mum to spiral into some sort of depression without us, do we?"

"That's true but…don't you think we could stay a bit longer? I mean…I haven't even had a proper chance to say goodbye to Bofur yet. And there are still some places here that we haven't explored. And…"

"Belladonna." Isembard spoke firmly. "We need to leave tomorrow. That's final."

I nodded, putting some few belongings into my bag. I could feel their eyes burning into my back, but I didn't care as I somberly decided to go to bed before the rest of my brothers. Tears stung in my eyes. I either choose family or opportunity. One leaves me behind, the other leaves my family behind. Struggling with a decision, I closed my eyes and allowed sleep to take over.

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As fate would have it, I was the last to wake up once more. I stressed over having to get up, having to tell them my decision. I sat up, not wanting this day to be here. "Glad to see you're finally awake," Hildifons said. "We're almost done packing. You should probably start."

I braced myself. "I'm not going to. I'm staying." My heart pounded so hard, I could have sworn it was coming out of my chest.

Isembard laughed. "Did I just hear that you're staying?"

"That's right," I told him solemnly.

He stopped laughing. "Oh. I think it would be wise for you to change your mind, Miss Bella. Mum's probably worried sick. And to see that one of her daughters isn't back? Why, I think it'd ruin her."

My voice wavered but I knew what needed to be said. "It'd ruin me to go back. I need to stay here. I _want_ to stay here. I like it here. It's brisk. It's different. Hobbiton just isn't the same," I explained. My hands were trembling, and I almost wished that I could just throw up already.

"But Belladonna," Hildigrim seemed to plead. "Hobbiton's home."

I almost started to cry. "Belegost can be home also. For me. I'll walk you out."

We left the tavern, tension hanging thickly in the air. No words were shared between us, and I could feel all of us preparing to say goodbye. I was surprised that there was less of an argument. It was entirely possible that my brothers were just in shock, though. I kicked rocks on the path as much as I could, trying to dissipate the feeling of shame of not being what my brothers expected. The front of the city was nearing us now, and I swallowed hard, trying not to cry yet. I'd have to save that for later.

"Well," Hildifons started, as we all stood at the gates of the city. "Here we are. Are you sure you want to stay? We can wait if you want to go back and grab your things."

"I think this is where I'm needed right now. I need a bit of an adventure. I'll be home every now and then. I promise." I smiled with tears threatening to spill over. "Thank you for taking me." Isembard wrapped me in a hug, with my brothers following suit. "I'll miss you all. I love you three."

A small chorus of 'I love you too's erupted around me, and a couple sniffles which I didn't think Hildigrim would claim. "You stay safe here now, Miss Bella. Take care of yourself. You know where to find us."

"I know. You all better start going now. You'll want to walk a ways before it gets dark," I suggested, trying not to make the goodbyes any harder than they had to be.

They started walking back to Hobbiton, shouting back a couple of 'I'll miss you's and other words of caring. It was then that I couldn't hold back the tears any longer. I burst out into tiny sobs, knowing that that was the last time I'd see them in a long while. That when I snuck out at night, that was the last time I would have even seen my hole. I wish I had known that I was going to stay here. I would have taken time to say goodbye.

I was startled when a heavy voice fell upon my ears. "Were those your brothers?"

With my heart pounding, I responded, "Oh, Thorin, hello. Um, yes those were my brothers. Hildigard, Hildifons, and Isembad," I finished lamely. I wiped my eyes with a shaking hand. The fact that he recognized me, despite that we had only talked once surprised me. Saying their names aloud, I realized, only made me burst out into more tears.

A short flash of concern and compassion crossed Thorin's face. "What did they say to make you cry?"

A small, sour laugh left my lips. "No, they didn't say anything. We were all supposed to be leaving today."

"And are you?"

"They are," I began to explain. "I'm not. I told them that," I paused so I could take a short breath, "I wanted to stay here. I like it here. It's different. It's brisk. I told them that. I'll miss the shire but who else would have this chance from Hobbiton? I'd be daft to not take this opportunity."

Thorin took a moment before saying anything, as though he was in deep thought. "Opportunity is sometimes a good thing to take advantage of." He paused. "My shop is about to open. I take it I will see you around."

I tried to smile and nodded. "I guess you will be."

* * *

**Alrighty, so what did you think? Good, indifferent? Let me know, I'd love to hear your thoughts! :)**

**-Amehhh**


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